NIA conducts searches in Nagaland in MLA killing case

The NIA on Thursday conducted searches at the residences of two absconding members of NSCN (IM) in Nagaland's Dimapur in connection with the attack on the convoy of MLA Khonsa Tirong Aboh in which he was killed.

The members whose houses were searched by the premier investigation agency are Absolom, a self-styled major general, and James Kiwang.

Two quadcopter drones, 14 rounds of .32 bore ammunition, 22 mobile phones, three laptops, one tablet, Apple Mackbook and pendrive, two memory cards, CDs and a few documents related to monetary transactions were seized, an NIA spokesperson said.

On June 10, the NIA had re-registered a case under sections of the IPC, Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in Arunachal Pradesh.

The case is related to the ambush on the convoy of MLA Khonsa Tirong Aboh by the militant gang of NSCN (IM) near Pansum Thong village in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh, the official said.

In the ambush, 11 people, including the MLA, were killed on the spot and three others injured.

The NIA filed a chargesheet against four accused -- Luckin Mashangva, Jaikishan Sharma, Yangte Josaham and Napong Jenpi -- in the special NIA court in Yupia on January 27 and they are in judicial custody at Itanagar Jail.

Absolom and Kiwang, along with others, in pursuance of the conspiracy executed the act of killing MLA Khonsa and others, the spokesperson said, adding that further investigation was underway.